March 23, 2017

Report: After GOP opposition, no Skandera federal nomination

Objections by U.S. Senate Republicans ended talk that Hanna Skandera might join the Donald Trump administration, according to a report in Politico Thursday.

The report, which led the outlet’s Morning Education tipsheet, said the New Mexico Public Education Department secretary’s support for the controversial Common Core standards were one reason Republicans were skeptical to confirm her as assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

“I am focused on continuing the great progress we have started and will continue in New Mexico,” Skandera said in a statement to NM Political Report when asked about if she had any conversations about joining the Trump administration. “When education focuses on students and not politics, everyone wins.”

Skandera is the head of the governing board of Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), which produces a standardized test in public schools aligned with Common Core.

Republicans have largely criticized Common Core standards, which the Barack Obama administration supported. Common Core standards’ roots came out of the George W. Bush-era No Child Left Behind Act.

In New Mexico, however, Democrats have largely opposed Common Core while Republicans like Gov. Susana Martinez have been vocal supporters.

Politico cited “about a dozen Republican offices” who said they were unlikely to ever vote for Skandera. Republicans hold a four-member advantage in the Senate, so if Democrats were to vote en masse against a candidate, Republicans would only be able to lose two senators to win a vote.

Another reason was the tough confirmation of federal Education Department Secretary Betsy DeVos. Both U.S. Senators from New Mexico voted against the DeVos nomination. The overall Senate DeVos vote tied among senators, so Vice President Mike Pence cast the deciding vote to confirm her—an unusual occurrence, especially for presidential cabinet confirmations.

The full story is in PoliticoPro, a high-dollar subscription service from Politico.

DeVos received heavy support from advocates in favor of school vouchers and school choice. And Martinez wrote a letter to Investors Business Daily praising Trump’s selection of DeVos.

Skandera herself saw a drawn-out nomination process for her role in charge of the Public Education Department in New Mexico. The state Senate Rules Committee did not vote to confirm Skandera until four years after Martinez nominated her. Nominees can serve as “secretary-designates” until a confirmation vote by the Senate in New Mexico, which Skandera did, unlike in the federal ranks.

Before coming to New Mexico, Skandera was the deputy commissioner of education in Florida under then-Gov. Jeb Bush.

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Matthew Reichbach is the editor of the NM Political Report. The former founder and editor of the NM Telegram, Matthew was also a co-founder of New Mexico FBIHOP with his brother and part of the original hirings at the groundbreaking website the New Mexico Independent. Matthew has covered events such as the Democratic National Convention and Netroots Nation and formerly published, “The Morning Word,” a daily political news summary for NM Telegram and the Santa Fe Reporter.Matthew has appeared as a panelist for the Society of Professional Journalists’ New Mexico Chapter’s panel on covering New Mexico politics and the legislature.A native New Mexican from Rio Rancho, Matthew’s family has been in New Mexico since the 1600s.